Plus, check it out… as of May 16, the walls are up on the Blaine campus!

May 16

I’m not a great “reflector” kind of person. I’m always in awe of people who actually take the time to ponder things, because I don’t do a lot of pondering myself. In fact, I think I was (and probably still am, to a large extent), ADHD, back when it was referred to as ”squirrely” by my parents on good days, and worse on bad days. But, I know it’s good to ponder from time to time, and so a pondering I will go….

The Not Without You campaign was a highlight for our church, and according to people who worked with us on it, was also a launching pad for other churches across the nation who had assumed that God was out of the church business right now. Our results proved that people still hold deeply to the mission that we have held to – and are willing to sacrifice to make it a reality. I am so proud of our church.

Since December, so much has taken place that have been either funded by or inspired by the NWY movement. It funded the largest portion of our costs to pack more than 2.3 million meals for starving kids in Haiti and other parts of the world. It funded the World Vision Step Into Africa experience, which was the jump start to our church sponsoring every child that was in need in the Mugeba province of Mozambique. Think of it—every child in this huge area of Africa has a sponsor, and has a chance at life, both physically and spiritually, because of us. Wow. Then, to cap it all off, something like 300 people have applied to go on short-term missions trips to places like Nicaragua, Ethiopia and Mexico this summer.

My wife and I had the great privilege to spend our 20^th anniversary in Hawaii a few years ago, and we had the chance to watch some amazing surfing during a particularly windy day off the coast. I could have watched all day, as people rode the waves. But even better, I could have rented a board and tried it myself. I didn’t do it, and I enjoyed watching people ride the wave, but I can’t help thinking what I missed by not getting in the water. A wave is building at Eagle Brook—will you ride it, or just watch from the sidelines?

If things continue to progress as planned, we should be moving dirt in Blaine by the end of March with a goal of holding services in September or October. All the background work is being finished up, and we’re pretty excited to get started! As exciting as that is, it’s even more exciting to know that the Blaine campus has already launched on Sunday nights at Spring Lake Park under the campus leadership of Matt Anderson. Matt has been our Groups pastor for a few years, and he will make an excellent campus pastor at Blaine. Come check out the Blaine service (anyone is welcome to attend) at 4:05 and 6:05 pm on Sundays. We’ve already got more than 300 Eagle Brookers coming and it’s only been running for a few weeks!

Woodbury is making slow, but forward, progress. Partly because our focus has had to be on Blaine, and partly because the city and planning process is always a bit slower than one would like. We’ve been learning patience on this one. The land is pretty well nailed down, and the building design, parking, landscaping, etc., are all in the last stages of completion so that we can submit to the city and get the process rolling. This should happen in March and April as far as we can tell right now.

From a financial standpoint, we have been surprised that the level of engagement has not been what we had projected, but thankful for everyone who has taken steps to get started on their pledge. I’m not sure why more people haven’t started, but it might become necessary to adjust our timelines to reflect reality. We’ll see—if you made a pledge and haven’t given toward it yet, it would help us to plan if you would start at some level now. Statistically, the vast majority of people who make a pledge and don’t give toward it within three months will never start. That said, so many have, and God has done amazing things through this little campaign in just a short period of time!

I guess that’s all the musing I will do for now, but it wasn’t too bad…I should do it more!

Eagle Brook just came through an amazing month of February geared toward compassion. Based on Micah 6:8, The Micah Project challenged us to love, mercy and action in this world. In case you didn’t catch the connection, did you know that The Micah Project initiatives were driven and funded through Not Without You dollars? If you give to Not Without You, you can know that you played a great role in building into the hearts of thousands of Eagle Brookers. And, I’m willing to bet you were stretched and challenged through the experience personally, as well.

We don’t want the experiences of The Micah Project and the inspiring teaching of “The 6:8 Challenge” to just be a great memory. It’s about momentum for new perspectives that will engage action as a lifestyle. It’s considering love as a verb.

Here’s a quick recap of what happened in February 2010:

Nearly 11,000 volunteers from our church and community packed 2,325,888 meals for Feed My Starving Children—a state record! Remember, our plan was to pack 2 million meals, but response was so great that we boosted our amount. Our cost for the food itself was $390,000. Just about $100,000 was underwritten by businesses, and the rest came from Not Without You funds (paired with a portion of the Jan. 16/17 weekend offering that was entirely dedicated to helping four partnering organizations on the ground in Haiti).

You sponsored 1,482 more kids in Mozambique! EBC hosted the World Vision Experience: AIDS exhibit at the White Bear Lake campus. Nearly 2,500 people came to “Step Into Africa,” and get close to the personal stories of those deeply affected by poverty—and see where hope is prevailing. Not Without You funds are funneled into Mozambique through World Vision regularly, AND personal child sponsorships boost that effectiveness. Combine the number of kids that were already being sponsored with the new tally, and nearly 2,500 kids are now sponsored at $35/month. That’s more than $1 million a year just through sponsorship!

Hundreds of people became interested in short-term missions. In 2010 so far, Global Impact has had nearly 500 people express interest in going on a short-term mission trip, and with the addition of the ORPHANetwork in Nicaragua and Healing Haiti organizations as partners, we have significantly increased opportunities to send out larger groups. Check out more info about Global Impact and Local Impact serving opportunities.

The 5-Day Meal Challenge made real hunger personal. It’s hard to know just how many attenders engaged in our challenge to eat like the world’s poor, but we got dozens of emails about the impression it made. Here’s what just a few people said:

“It has definitely made me think about the people that live this way every day.”—T. du’Monceaux

“We have learned that we are a society of convenience. The food is terribly bland. I never thought I would look at cornbread as a dessert!”–P. Herda

“I cannot believe what an awakening it has been. My empathy level has risen, and I know that I am going to become a stronger steward and servant of God.”–G. Schafer

Suzanne Lee wrote an insightful blog post on her family’s experience (including her kids ages 6, 4 and 1 who participated) with the 5 Day Meal Challenge: go there.

Patty Wynn summed it up well, “I don’t ever remember a week where I’ve felt so generous.” In fact, up through Easter she said she and her friend will try to do the meal challenge every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “I’m a changed person,” she said.

After February, I think we’ve all been changed and challenged to respond in some way.

>>>Enjoy watching a couple of local news stories on Feed My Starving Children and Step Into Africa.

I was looking at the Eagle Brook Facebook page online, reading the comments from people who had participated in the Not Without You commitment weekend on November 21/22 (check it out!), and was reminded once again how unique a church like ours is.  In it, people expressed their joy at having the opportunity to simply be a part of this church’s mission – to reach people who are far from God. 

We spent five weeks making the case, rejoicing in where we’ve been, and now doing our best to take the next steps, steps that are harder to take now than they were in the past.  But this church takes bold steps, and though thirty million dollars worth of projects is far beyond our known capacity, we love–and I sense our church loves–that we are willing to trust God for the unimaginable.  Way to go, church!

We will have a lot to celebrate, and we’re very pleased. I’m excited to say that we received more pledges even this past week, and though we won’t know the full level of participation until we get all of it entered, it’s clear that a larger percentage than typical is participating at all levels of financial ability.  A few things you won’t want to miss:

1. If you’ve not yet pledged to the Not Without You movement, don’t miss the opportunity to be included in the results we will announce on the weekend of December 12/13.  You can pledge online, and then follow the links to the online giving portion of the site to schedule your contributions.

2. If you haven’t seen one or more of the messages in this series, don’t miss the opportunity to catch up by watching online, including the commitment weekend message, which was a powerful service and an opportunity to watch the church in action in a very unique way. 

3. Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the financial results on December 12/13!  Let’s face it – even getting to the place we were at in the God’s Amazing Church campaign would be a miracle in this new world and economy that we find ourselves in, but what if God chooses to do something extraordinary?  What if you miss it?

Along with many, we already celebrate how this series and opportunity to express our intentions has stretched us, brought us together, and confirmed in our own hearts the mission God has called us to accomplish – not without Vision; not without Sacrifice; not without YOU.

Remember, the drum rolls on December 12/13 and the totals will be announced. Hang in there, and be ready to celebrate what God and you have done!

Last week, over 2,000 people experienced The View From Here. You never know how things are going to land…

People were seated on the stage, and looking out toward the worship seats.

Three people's stories of life change were projected into the auditorium, with spotlights highlighting the importance of a person in a seat.

Story-telling is a big part of what we do at Eagle Brook, and we’ve got no shortage of stories, either.  This place is filled with people whose lives have been transformed by Christ, and about 2,000 of invested Eagle Brookers seized the opportunity to share in the life-stories of a few of them last week (November 2-6).  As one who helped to birth the idea of the View From Here event, I was amazed by two things once it all came to life over the span of five days and ten sessions.

First, I’m in awe of the talent that God has brought together here at Eagle Brook.  Many of the technical geniuses that work here could make a lot more money in a secular job, but they willingly share the skills and talents they have been blessed with so that we can experience God in a more impactful way.  We start the process with a kernel of an idea and they take it and make it something that will be talked about for years to come – I am so thankful for the opportunities we get because of the people who work with us! I love how their work can bring the connection alive.

Second, I was amazed at the level of engagement and ownership that people exhibited after the sessions.  I know that people in general love Eagle Brook, enjoy its programs, and love to part of something beyond themselves – I get that.  Walking out of the rooms over those ten sessions, though,  were people who were ready to be a greater part of it, more than they have in the past, or even more than they ever thought possible.  I’ve had numerous conversations since the events with people who were prayerfully yet excitedly choosing to go out on a limb for the possibility of reaching people they may never personally meet or know.  Do you know how unusual that is?  Do you know how unique that is?  I do.

Pastor Bob asked the people at the event to be the ones to lead the way for the rest of the congregation. He asked them to make their 3-year commitments by November 16 so we could inspire the rest to participate in what God is doing by Commitment Weekend: November 21/22. If you were challenged, or if you are reading this and feel ready to lead the way, you can make your pledge online right here. We’re asking God to surprise us with his goodness, and I really think he will–through YOU.

The Great Commission seems to always be at odds with the Great Commandment, doesn’t it?  The Great Commission commands us to spread the Good News to every person, proclaiming the salvation that is available to all through Jesus Christ.  If you read it just right, it appears to be the most important and critical element of what it means to be a Christ follower.  Similarly, the Great Commandment commissions us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a sick and dying world filled with people who are less fortunate than we are.  If you read it just right, it appears to be the most important and critical element of what it means to be a Christ follower. 

 I’ve heard it said that the best way to reconcile these two challenges is to assume that the poorest among us has nothing to do with money or things, but rather has to do with the condition of one’s soul, meaning that the great Commission encompasses the Great Commandment.  I’ve also heard it said that a person who has to truly worry about food or shelter will only respond to God when that need is met, meaning that the Great Commandment encompasses the Great Commission.

 Here’s what I think…each person, and even each church, has to discern the difference and the balance between these two critical challenges that God places in front of us.  I could argue that the need for both is more intense now than it has ever been in the history of mankind, and the saddest part is that too many people (and too many churches) choose not to invest deeply in either one.  How must that make the Father feel? 

 At Eagle Brook, just like for each person who follows Christ, we are constantly doing our best to discern and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to both reach people who are far from God (and save them from eternal death) and provide for the real physical needs of the desperately poor ( and save them from physical death).  Three years ago, prior to the God’s Amazing Church campaign, we felt drawn to a deeper involvement in the plight of the world’s poorest people, and launched an effort to do what we could in an area of Mozambique ravaged by HIV/AIDS and poverty.  Since then, over $2 million has been invested through World Vision in the lives of people we will never know, but with impact beyond what we can imagine.  It’s made us a better church, filled with better people.  Now, as we launch the Not Without You campaign, we again have included Mozambique in our plans to impact poverty and AIDS (Great Commandment stuff); in fact, we have a dream to increase our sponsorship level from 1,100 to 2,000 by March of next year.  

 What’s new in this campaign is that we are once again on the move here at home, with the dream of establishing at least two more campuses in the next three years in communities like Blaine and Woodbury (Great Commission stuff).  Things like reaching people who will spend eternity separated from God is never at odds with helping the poorest among us – in fact, neither is at odds with the other, unless one is pursued without the other.

 We’re called to do both – as individuals and as churches.  We’ll continue to look for ways to grow both values in our church, even as each of us individually should do the same.  Isn’t it interesting that God didn’t lay it out more clearly for us with percentages and formulas to know exactly how we should serve him?  I think it’s because the journey is the destination – and it’s the most amazing journey imaginable!

The simple statement, “empowered by God to reach others for Christ” has been a guiding principle for our church for most of the last two decades.  It brings clarity and simplicity to what we do, yet allows for us to work toward the standard in many ways.  It’s given us permission to make changes when they have been necessary, and has kept us from making bad decisions about doing good things that either didn’t line up or weren’t the right time. 

Our mission is to reach people.  Our mission is not to build buildings, pay staff, or even to support worthy projects here and around the world.  In fact, our mission isn’t even to hold services on the weekends – our mission is simple: to reach people.  These other things are the ways in which we have accomplished the mission that our church is called to accomplish, but admittedly, there are all kinds of ways to do it.  You may have read in the paper just a few days ago about the ‘micro-church’ concept – just another way to reach people. 

If I’ve learned anything in my tenure here at Eagle Brook, it’s that our mission is dependent upon 1) God’s sovereign hand of blessing, 2) people who are willing to participate in God’s plan to redeem people, and 3) making ourselves available to be used.  This combination has reached people – far more that we ever imagined, to the point where our little church is now the 21^st largest in the nation (not a goal of ours, by the way).

“Missions,” however, is a term that doesn’t work for me anymore.  The concept of missions over the years has meant the separation of goals in the church from goals outside of the church, and if I dare say it, a response on the part of some to assuage their own guilt for living in a land of prosperity.  Missions asks the question, “How will we reach people outside of our walls in a faraway land?,” which made sense when America was the beacon of Christian witness to the world.  But let’s face it, we don’t own that label anymore.  We’re in as much need of ‘missions’ as many other places in the world; in fact, many countries now send missionaries to the USA. 

 Over the years, people have asked me many times, “How much of our budget goes to missions?”and I’ve seemed to struggle with the answer to that question.  I don’t anymore, because the answer is simple – all of it.  Here at home, the environments we create are put in place not to provide comfort to the already-convinced, but to draw people who are far from God (the bonus is that the already-convinced enjoy it as well).  In the metro area, the things we do to serve the less fortunate are done with a heart to reach them for Christ – the ultimate goal.  Around the world, in countries as diverse as Africa, Brazil, Ukraine and Norway, the teams we send and the work we do is done to extend God’s Kingdom by ministering to the whole person. 

By the way, we should do more in every arena we have the privilege to be a part of.  I think we’re getting there, but it’s only as we practice what we preach – being willing people, gladly investing their talent and treasure in a compelling mission. Combine that with the Father’s excitement of working with people who represent his heart, and nothing is impossible!  We’ve already been empowered – that’s clear.  Just imagine what it could be like if more of us got in the game…

So often we get ‘hooked’ into conversations about topics, only to find out half-way through that we’re talking from two very different definitions. Or perhaps the way we are approaching the conversation has been different.  In today’s world, where it seems middle ground is hard to find, definitions are a good place to start.  In the church world, it’s critical.

 As we’ve started talking about places like Blaine and Woodbury here at EBC, it gets very easy to assume that the vision of our church is to add sites all over the place, which would be wrong. So, I’d like to bring some common language to how we define our vision and our plans.

 The VISION of Eagle Brook is to reach people who are far from God.  Our vision is a simple, straightforward, constant reminder of what it is that our church has been gifted and called to accomplish; something that must inform everything that we embark upon or choose to do.  Our vision doesn’t change with the whims of society or the ups and downs of the stock market.  It doesn’t change when a new pastor comes or when board members turn over. Because our vision is at the center of who we are as a church, everyone who chooses to embrace Eagle Brook as their church must embrace the vision of reaching lost people. It’s the “why” behind our existence as a church.

The PLAN of accomplishing our vision by expanding through a multi-site strategy is just one way of getting there. It’s the “how.” Our plans and strategies will be responsive to the whims of society and even the ups and downs of the stock market to a certain degree, simply because all of these things will impact what we can do and how well it will be received by people who need to be reached.  Our strategies are simply our best efforts at finding the most effective way to achieve the vision we’ve all been called to.  Sometimes they work – and at Eagle Brook we’ve got a pretty good track record for this – and sometimes they don’t.  When we find one that works, we like to get every bit of positive movement out of it possible, then discard it when it no longer does what it is supposed to do. That’s what keeps us relevant. Yesterday’s good ideas may not be tomorrow’s.

The secret we’ve learned is the difference between the two.  The plans we implement to reach the VISION are constantly changing, responding to the realities of what works and what doesn’t.  So, the next time someone begins to disagree with the PLANS of Eagle Brook (like going to Blaine or Woodbury, our music style, or our use of topical teaching), find out if you have agreement on the VISION.  Now, if you and I can agree on the vision, and realize that we may just disagree about the plan or point of view, a much more reasonable conversation is able to take place. Then we can simply disagree without feeling like either side must ‘win.’

God’s Word is unchanging, but our methods will change, and have changed a lot over Eagle Brook’s 60 year history. We appreciate prayers for discernment as we step out in faith with what God has entrusted to us.

I get a lot of emails from people who are asking when Eagle Brook is coming to their town.  It’s great to know that Eagle Brook is welcome and even wanted in places like Coon Rapids, Duluth, Brainerd, Cottage Grove and Stillwater, among other places.  The truth is, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we ended up in one or all of these places someday, but we’ve chosen two communities in particular at this time for some pretty specific reasons.

BLAINE: Blaine is a response to an urgent need.  I know we talk about how our campuses are full, and sometimes people question that.  But, if you go to Spring Lake Park now that fall has kicked in, you’ll find a real problem identifying a place to sit at almost any service on the weekend.  We don’t believe in allowing churches to ‘mature’ to a point of being full.  In fact, we think it’s dangerous, as people become comfortable rather than sensing the urgency of reaching people who are still unreached. 

The Blaine campus, less than five miles away from Spring Lake Park, will peel off up to 400 people, allowing room for continued growth at both campuses.  It will also draw some from Lino Lakes, which has its share of overcrowding issues, especially on Saturdays.  The plan for this campus allows us to be up and running by Easter of next year with 800 additional seats to add to our toolbox for reaching people who are far from God.  The location is perfect – just off 35W and 95th Avenue in Blaine, this already-constructed warehouse will be transformed in record time to release the pressure on current campuses and reach new neighborhoods.

WOODBURY: Woodbury is an approach to an opportunity.  With over 500 families who come to Eagle Brook already from Woodbury and surrounding areas, we have the amazing opportunity to plant a church in a community that is much like the ones we already serve.  Bob has had a heart for Woodbury as far back as I can remember (and I’ve been around a long time!), so it fits well with our dreams to extend our influence and reach people who respond to what we do, but are unlikely to become fully involved (in large numbers, anyway) in a church that’s a thirty minute drive or more away.  We’ve found a property that just might do the trick, too!  With the help of city staff, we’ve been directed to a 40 acre location in the northeastern corner of Woodbury that has all the elements we need to create a thriving Eagle Brook Campus.  Compared to plans for Blaine, this location will be designed to be a campus much like our existing three sites, with room for future expansion if needed.  Because of the ideal location and Eagle Brook awareness in the area, 1,500 seats is the smallest size we can justify – even that might be too small, but we have balance our desire to establish with the reality of resources.  We’d like to be open in 2011 sometime.

 If these two sites work as planned, in a few years we might be able to say that we ‘know how to do multi-site’ at Eagle Brook Church.  Then, with two models of potential expansion available to us and a financial awareness of what it takes and how it works, I could see us more effectively expanding to your city!  God’s timing on this thing has been the key.  Many of us have learned the hard way that you don’t force his plans; but when he opens the doors, we’re gonna be ready!

You probably don’t know this, but the leadership at Eagle Brook sets these things each year called “BHAGs.” BHAGs is a very technical term that stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals. We learned several years ago at the church that you can’t just be satisfied with going on a feeling that things “seem” to be going well. If we were going to be able to know if people were really being transformed into fully-devoted followers of Christ, we had to measure that somehow. These numerical goals determine our strategies for reaching people and growing them in their faith.

BHAGs are by no means an exact science, nor can they really crack open all of the spiritual data that exists in the minds and hearts of our attenders. But, what numbers can do is show us how many people are attending on a weekend, serving, engaging in small groups, giving, getting baptized… things like that. So, we count a lot of things. Then, we adjust and design strategies to help us move people along in their spiritual journey. Each year, a new BHAG number for various categories is chosen, and it’s supposed to be a number that is going to take some faith to achieve. Week by week, the numbers are entered into spreadsheets and we see if we’re on track to meeting those goals.

Since we’ve been keeping track of BHAGs, the coolest thing is to look back over a period of years and see a huge witness to God’s blessings on this church. In the last five years, 5,000 people have made first-time commitments to Christ! And that number is conservative considering that some people never stop and fill out a form to tell us they accepted Christ at EBC. Do you know that most churches in America are hardpressed to record even one conversion in the course of a year? Plus, more than 1,900 people took the next step to participate in believer’s baptism since 2004.

While we’re talking numbers, we’re seeing a growth trend at our church that is amazing. Over the last 20 years, we’ve experienced an averaged growth of 20% attendance annually. Just since we opened the Lino Lakes Campus less than five years ago, we have doubled in size to more than 12,000 people attending between our three campuses each weekend. God is doing something at Eagle Brook Church, and Pastor Bob has said, “We don’t want to put the brakes on.”

Did you know those spreadsheet formulas tell us a new story for the future? We’re experiencing capacity issues at all of our campuses at the 11 am Sunday morning hour even now. But, the numbers predict that if we did nothing to add new campuses and more seats now, we would have to turn away 10,000 people each weekend within three years. We’re in the “reaching people for Christ” business, so that’s why we’re feeling the urgency to mobilize once again.

But we need more people participating in the mission of this church through serving and giving. Because changed lives within the church will multiply to lives impacted in entire communities and cities and states, and even in places around the world. Are you ready to BE the hope and to join the journey? How about setting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal for yourself, and just see how God will bless and multiply it…